by Barb Shuler
My canines sank into the beefy flesh of his arm. He let out a snarling growl of pain. With the twist of my head his arm flew into the air. He threw himself backwards but I moved forward, stalking my prey.
He shifted sideways as if he was going to get up and run, and I pounced. My canines made purchase in his flesh. I tore at his neck, his blood coated my muzzle as I pulled yet another chunk of him free. His howls cut off as his body went lax.
He was dead. No need to stay with him.
I dropped the body and turned to see that other bodies littered the ground around me. My father and the man he had faced off with were still grappling. Both Ramport and Joshua stood close by watching them. My gaze flickered to the left, movement catching my eye. Another man was stalking closer to the group of wolves. I took three steps and leapt.
The man hit the ground with a gasp and collapsed under me. My teeth sank into his shoulder as he fought to get free.
“Natalia! No, princess, do not kill him,” my father's words rang out loud.
My canines pushed a little further into the man's flesh, causing him to cry out in pain. The rumbling growl built in me only to escape a moment later.
“Easy, love,” Joshua said, laying a hand on my neck. His fingers stroked soothingly along my neck and with a gentle tug he pulled at the scruff of my neck. “Let him go, Talia. Please, love.”
With a frustrated hiss I released the man and allowed Joshua to pull me to the side. My shoulders were bunched and I was ready to strike again if need be.
JOSHUA
Watching my mate dispatch a vampire three times her strength sent a wave of desire pushing through me all the way to my soul. She was a beautifully deadly creature. With the skill of a trained killer she let the man's body drop to the ground. I'd watched her from my spot at my father's side. She had three wolves at her back even if she hadn't noticed, or needed them.
It was when she attacked the man who had been on the outline of the trees that we turned back to her. The Prince had the head of the lead hunter in his grip as he called to her to not kill this man. Talia was having none of that. Her beast was in control, I could feel the power rolling off of her. This time was no different from the others. Her eyes had taken on the blue hue we had grown accustomed to. Her inner magics were flexing their muscles to see if they could garner control over her.
I placed my hand in the scruff of her neck after a loving scratch and she let me pull her back. I could tell the struggle inside of her was growing. The vampire and beast were still battling for ultimate control. They'd have to learn to be as one in order for her to stay sane. She was an extremely special girl, but I don't think any of us truly grasped the severity of her inner battle. I could feel it through our bonds, though. I would be here for her no matter the battle to come.
Sure, she is only ever vampire or shifter, never both at the same time, but the power that feeds them both is what's going to cause her the biggest battle. Unless she is able to learn how to harness and funnel it out as she needs it. She has shown evidence the power struggle a few times already. Thankfully, Father has been there to help her forms merge, to coexist as they should. It’s as if a bomb of power coils and explodes inside her. Both sides are scrambling to capture control over the other, and that is where her inner turmoil starts in on her again. Like it was now. She wanted to let loose and kill, but the vampire side was not ready for that.
I took to one knee and cupped her face, drawing her attention to me. The beast's blood lust would only make this worse if she were to stay in that state. Her small growl of frustration made a smile tug at the corner of my mouth.
“Yes, yes, I know, love. Your father has other plans for him,” I said in a low whisper.
Her nose, wet with the vampires blood, pushed into mine and I smiled outright. I locked gazes with her as the tips of my fingers massaged her head and down her neck. She shook as a shiver ran through her. Chuffing, she sat on her haunches and raised her head, allowing my fingers to scratch and massage her neck and chest. Whether wolf or cat, there’s nothing like a good scratch.
My wolf enjoyed when she did this for us as well. Our mates taking care of us, that was the easiest way to calm the inner beast. Her touch did this to me, now it was my turn to return said favor. I used a small piece of cloth someone handed to me to clean her muzzle.
A few minutes later, Father and Trenton came over to us. They'd sent the severely hurt vampire back to the King with a message saying basically back off, or you die. Talia still would not shift back. Her beast was too wound up and I understood that. There was so much for her to process lately.
“Come on, you two, we need to a move on. We’re no longer safe in the open,” Father said. With a nod towards my mother, he and the Prince moved back to the front of the line. Mother moved to where we stood and ran her fingers ran along Talia’s neck.
“Come on, sweet girl. I'll walk with you. You change back whenever you're ready,” Mother’s voice was soft and the smile that graced her face was heartwarming.
Talia chuffed and rubbed her head against Mother’s hand, and after a short chuckle from me we started walking again.
12
Trenton
It had been a week since the King sent his guards after us. I expect more of the bastards will be coming after us all, with the intention of separating my head from my neck. In turn, I suspect that instead, all of them will lose their heads and another message will be sent back to my dear uncle.
He should enjoy what little time he has left sitting on my throne, because his time is coming to an end.
His reign will end in an inferno so big it will be like the fires of hell are upon him, after which I will retake the throne and lead our people the right way. The supernatural world around us will crumble if he stays in charge much longer. The time to unleash the gifts the Gods bestowed upon us, is now.
With the help of Ramport’s pack we have made it to a hidden cabin in the mountains. We have sent word to my brothers of the latest development and a set of coordinates have also been sent to them. Alexander, of course, will know this place, as it’s his hidden home in the mountains, which we should arrive at within the next few days. . Bartholomew and his clan will have to travel the greatest distance but he’ll find it.
So, now we wait. Each of us paces the floors or free grounds around the cabin like caged animals in a circus arena.
We are in the mountains of Montana now, only a stone's throw from the Canadian border. I know Alexander is close, I felt him earlier, I just couldn’t bring myself to open my mind to him. Not yet. There has been too much careful planning for me to be lax now. It’s not the right time.
When the front door opens I’m pulled from my musing to see Joshua carrying Natalia. She looks disheveled and is bleeding from her side. Her low curses catch me off guard. I move toward her and lift the side of her shirt, careful of her wound.
“What happened, Joshua?!” My words came out as a growl. The wolf's eyes flashed yellow before he spoke.
“I do not-”
“Dammit! Set me down. It's a frigging scratch!” Talia’s snapped words make my lips twitch.
“My dear daughter, that is far from a scratch.” I turn from them and call out for Sheri. “Natalia is bleeding, Sheri.”
“Put her on the couch,” Sheri yelled back and I nod, letting Joshua move her to the couch.
“Now, please tell me what happened,” I said, trying to keep the growl out of my words.
“If I say, you will not approve or be pleased. Let's just say I'm fine and leave it be. Please,” she said. I raise a brow, as does Joshua. I’m pushed to the side as Sheri comes in.
I move back further, giving my daughter a stern look.
The front door is pushed open again and one pissed off alpha wolf enters. I meet Ram’s gaze and let him pass me without a word. The anger rolling off of him would be enough to make any of his wolves cower on the spot. He stops before the couch and glares down at Natalia.
“You, sta
rt talking right now, and do not give me that same crap you just fed your father,” his words ring out and even I can feel the pack power rolling through each word.
“Father-” Ram spun as Joshua spoke, a snarl leaving his lips. “Silence!”
Joshua’s head bowed and I stepped closer. For him to go after his pup like that - well, he was on edge. A place I hadn't seen him in years.
“Natalia,” he said in a growl. The door again opened and Javi tugged two men in by the scruff of their necks and I raised a brow again before I spoke.
“I'd advise someone to speak now or we will have a problem. Non-negotiable,” I snapped. I was beginning to get angry myself with the fact that shit was being kept from me.
“Oh, for the love of…” Natalia trailed off, sitting up. Her feet pressed to the floor and she stood, one hand going to her hip and with the other she pointed a long finger at Javi. “You let them be, you fool. It was my fault. I needed to train and they reluctantly agreed. I fell off the damn rocks and into that hole all on my own. It was no fault of theirs.”
“You what?” I said as Ram snarled out a curse.
I give her credit, my daughter, my heir, stood her ground. I was proud of her, but in the same breath I wanted to throttle her. I placed a warning hand on Ram’s shoulder.
“You heard me. I need more training, and with someone I haven't sparred with before. I know Ram and Joshua’s tells,” she snapped looking at me with that hard impenetrable gaze.
She looked so much like Natalie in this moment. The blue was bleeding back into her eyes again. My heart clenched.
“I can react faster to their attacks. Those vampires back a week ago, they taught me I wasn't really ready. My beast is the only reason he didn't snap my neck that day,” she said as she spun to face me. Her finger pushing into my chest. “You won’t teach me, so I have to do it myself.”
I let her push that bony finger into my chest. I watched her irises flick from hazel to blue and back again. My heart fissured again as the images of her mother, my Natalie, doing the same thing to me once flooded my mind.
I grasped Natalia’s hand and opened my mind. I let the connection between us open and pushed the images of that night so that it filled both our minds. Natalia gasped and as we went to our knees I wrapped my arm around her.
“You will teach me how to fight properly against your kind! I have to protect myself and our growing babe. You shall not take that from me. My magics are only good if I can keep a foot ahead of any attackers. Reactions are slowed by emotions, Trenton. You know this!”
Natalie’s soft, yet brash voice rang out as I stood still. Her finger pressed into my chest as she spoke. The fiery blue of her irises made my dead heart come back to life. With a soft nod I gave into her demands.
“As you wish, my love. I will ask Ramport to help as well. Fighting is his forte, and his actions will not harm our babe,” I said leaning down to kiss her lips softly.
“Thank you. I can do this. I am not some pup who can't run on its own four paws. I will do this for you and our babe,” she said, her lips now pressing into mine again.
Once I pulled back I gave her a big grin and nodded. “It shall start tomorrow,” I said.
I pulled my power back, my eyes still closed as I spoke. My voice was a bit off as I took my daughters hand and pulled it to my lips. I pressed a kiss to her palm and nodded.
“You are more like your mother than you know. I will teach you. Get that wound looked at and meet me out front,” I said as I stood, opening my eyes again. I helped her up before heading out the front door.
I moved off to the tree line and let out a snarling cry of frustration as I ran into the thickets of trees around me before I stopped. My anger surged through me. I put my fist into the closest tree. The snap of the bark and crushing of the wood sent it toppling over into another. Then a second tree went down, and a third.
The training I’d given Natalie hadn't been enough to save her in the end. They'd taken her when she was weakened by keeping our daughter safe. Another tree went down and I lifted it up, tossing it into another. The small clearing I’d just made was littered in debris now. I stood straight, my head falling back as I let out a primal cry.
It was time to get my mind in the game and make sure I gave my daughter everything she needed to beat these bastards. I would not allow them to take my daughter, my family, the last piece of Natalie, from me.
Not now, not ever!
TALIA
I'm unsure as to what exactly happened between my father and I just now. The overload of images and feelings that flooded me brought me to my knees. I've never felt such a rush before. My heart is still hammering as a warmth fills me.
My mother.
I knew that face. She was so beautiful, loving, and the power rolling off of her was heart-stopping. The shock of her power burned through me and I felt something inside me tighten.
Moments passed before I came back to myself. My face was wet with tears, my body shook from the memories that passed through it, and the overwhelming love I felt still running through me made my eyes water more.
I felt a strong set of arms wrap around me and I curled into Joshua’s chest, breathing in his familiar scent. My chest rumbles contently as he stroked the back of my neck with his fingers. It took me a few minutes to stop shaking and come completely out of the fog I was wrapped in.
When the loud crash hit my ears I sat up and looked around. I had been moved to the couch again. I didn't see my father, or Ramport. It was just Joshua and I in here. I sat straighter and looked at Joshua before getting up and running to the door. Please tell me there was no more fighting. Had Father lost his mind and gone after the two wolves?
My injury was no more Rock and Tanner’s fault than it was of the hole I fell into.
I halted - well, more like skidded to a stop - when I got past the treeline. Ramport and his wolves had created a circle around the now very open battle ground. I watched as my father lifted a tree, one the size of a large truck, and chucked it at another.
I shook my head. I could feel his pain, the agony, the loss of my mother, it was consuming him. He’d done all of this to keep me safe and I'd done nothing more than be an angry child. There was more to this than we knew. I could feel the guilt building in him for holding back secrets.
I moved forward and Ramport put a hand up, but I pushed it to the side.
“Don't, he needs me right now,” I said as I slowly made my way to the first of the felled trees. My heart beat at a pace to rival any hummingbird’s.
“Daddy,” I whispered. He stilled in the clearing. Swallowing a lump of emotion, I hopped down and slowly moved closer to him. I could see the wetness coating his face and it made my own eyes prick with fresh tears.
“It's all my fault,” he said. His voice low, but clear. “She died because I could not protect her.”
“No!” My words came out sharp. His eyes flashed to mine and I marched the rest of the way to him. “She died to save me. I saw it… I felt it. The power was pulled from her,” I shuddered as I spoke. “It was not your fault.”
“I wanted to keep you both safe. I should have. I failed you both. I wasn't man enough-”
“Stop it! Just stop it! You are not going to do this.” I poked his chest as I had inside. “We can't do this. You lost her, I lost her, before I even got to know her. They did this, not you,” I said waving my hand in the air at no one in particular.
“You hate me,” he said as his eyes once again met mine.
“I was angry you left me. I won't apologize for that… but you came back to me. I've never hated you. You're my father, my heart will always be yours, Daddy. Nothing, not even my petulant behavior, can change that,” I said as I moved in to wrap my arms around him.
I buried my face in his chest and held onto him as tight as I could.
“It was like losing her all over again,” he said. His voice pitched low and I sniffed back more tears.
“I know… I could feel it,
” I whispered back. His back stiffened slightly and pushed me back, his hands moving to cup my face.
“You're more and more like her everyday. She'd be so proud of you,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips. He leaned down and kissed my forehead.
“Is that a good thing?” I asked. It was a question, but I already knew the answer. It was a very good thing. I could keep a piece of her alive for him.
“It's a damn good thing. Now, get yourself ready to fight. I made a promise to your mother before you were born-” he paused and sighed before continuing, “and it's time to keep it.”
He waved a hand in the air and a few of the wolves started shifting. I raised a brow.
“You didn't think I was going to make it easy on you, did you?”
That cocky grin I’d seen in the memory of him and my mother made me grin.
“Bring it on, old man,” I challenged as I stepped back, my eyes darting around as wolves moved in closer. Within the blink of an eye I was dodging fists, teeth, and a helluva lot of power coming my way.
What felt like hours passed. Long, tiring hours. Minute after minute of dodging hits, rolling away from strikes, and attacking head on. I was ready to collapse. I'd been refusing to let my beast out just yet, when one of the wolves hit me just right. I howled in shock and pain as I was tossed into the air.
With a snarl, my beast took over. I shifted mid-flip and landed on all four paws, a growl escaping my lips.
“Finally, now we do it all again,” Father said. With the wave of a hand, the wolves attacked.
Fuck!
13
Talia
Over the past week, Father, Ramport and a few of the other wolves have worked with me for several hours each day to hone my fighting skills. My skills are improving. I've even been able to knock a few of them down before they even realized I was attacking. My beast and I seem to finally be of the same accord as well.